The seat is on the outskirts of Greater Manchester with fields making for separate villages and towns, these buffer zones most often designated as Green belt, which includes areas for sport such as the ground of Bolton Wanderers at the University of Bolton Stadium. It includes the generally affluent towns of Blackrod, Horwich and Westhoughton in the western half of Bolton borough though in 2010 Atherton from the Wigan borough was added, a more Labour-leaning former coal mining town. To date the seat has been a marginal seat[n 3] between the Labour and the Conservative parties, however as of the 2019 election, it was also the safest Conservative seat in Greater Manchester, with a larger majority than Altrincham and Sale West. This was overturned when the seat was won by Labour in the 2024 election.
Boundaries
Map of boundaries from 2024
Bolton West in Lancashire, boundaries used 1974–83
There were major boundary changes to Bolton West in 1983 when part of its area went to create Bolton North East, but compensated by taking most of the former Westhoughton constituency. 2010 saw the town of Atherton added from the Wigan borough, previously in the Leigh constituency. In 2024, Atherton was transferred back out to the new constituency of Leigh and Atherton, and offset by the addition of Hulton ward from the abolished Bolton South East.
1950–1983: The County Borough of Bolton wards of Deane-cum-Lostock, Derby, Halliwell, Heaton, Rumworth, Smithills, and West.
1983–1997: The Borough of Bolton wards of Blackrod, Deane-cum-Heaton, Halliwell, Horwich, Hulton Park, Smithills, and Westhoughton.
1997–2010: The Borough of Bolton wards of Blackrod, Deane-cum-Heaton, Horwich, Hulton Park, Smithills, and Westhoughton.
2010–2024: The Borough of Bolton wards of Heaton and Lostock, Horwich and Blackrod, Horwich North East, Smithills, Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, and Westhoughton South, and the Borough of Wigan ward of Atherton.
2024–present: The Borough of Bolton wards of Heaton, Lostock & Chew Moor; Horwich North; Horwich South & Blackrod; Hulton (part); Smithills; Westhoughton North & Hunger Hill; Westhoughton South; and Rumworth (part).[3][4]
^A county constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)
^As with all constituencies, the constituency elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election at least every five years.
^As it has most often given marginal majorities of less than 10%
References
^"Bolton West: Usual Resident Population, 2011". Neighbourhood Statistics. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
^"The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – North West". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
^"The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 5 North West region.
^Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "B" (part 4)
^"General election results 2024". Bolton Council. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
^"Notional results for a UK general election on 12 December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
^Sansome, Jessica; Otter, Saffron (14 November 2019). "All the Greater Manchester General Election 2019 candidates". men. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
^"Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^"Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^ abcBarbara Olwyn Ronson. Links in a Chain. Retrieved on 13 May 2010.
^"Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^General Election Results 1997 and 2001: Bolton West Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 1997: Bolton West. BBC. Retrieved 17 May 2010.
^"Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^General Election 9 April 1992: Bolton West Archived 11 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^"UK General Election results April 1992". Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
^Clifford Morris. Links in a Chain. Retrieved on 13 May 2010.
^"Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^General Election 11 June 1987: Bolton West Archived 11 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^"Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
^General Election 9 June 1983: Bolton West Archived 28 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 3 May 1979: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 10 October 1974: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^ abPhilip Stefan Linney. Links in a Chain. Retrieved on 13 May 2010.
^General Election 28 February 1974: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 18 June 1970: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 31 March 1966: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 15 October 1964: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 8 October 1959: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 26 May 1955: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 25 October 1951: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^General Election 23 February 1950: Bolton West. Political Science Resources. Retrieved 14 May 2010.
^Walter Wharton Tong. Links in a Chain. Retrieved on 13 May 2010.
External links
nomis Constituency Profile for Bolton West – presenting data from the ONS annual population survey and other official statistics.
Bolton West UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
Bolton West UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
Bolton West UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK